NEW DELHI: The redevelopment work at the exhibition-cum-convention centre at Pragati Maidan will be completed by January 15, well before the G20 Summit to be held here in September next year.
According to officials, the convention centre works will be completed by December 31 and arrangements for food and beverages will be ready by January 15, 2023.
The convention center, lounges and helipad for the visiting dignitaries were scheduled to be completed by 2019, but the redevelopment of the trade fair complex and convention centre is still under way. The project work took hit a due to Covid-19 pandemic and the deadline has been extended a few times.
With a view of India Gate, the elliptical-shaped convention centre, built on an elevated podium, is spread over 53,399 square metres. While it has an aggregate capacity of 11,450 people, the convention centre can accommodate up to 7,000 in one floor.
Of its five levels, one level in the convention centre with a leaders’ lounge, dining room and two auditoriums with 900 and 600 capacity each will be dedicated to G20 leaders, news agency PTI reported quoting a top official. A separate complex of 25 rooms for meetings and seminars will be available for the Prime Minister. A 3,000-capacity amphitheatre, six exhibition halls and parking for 4,800 cars will also be arranged.
The beautification work of and around official routes have been accelerated. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is working on giving roads, kerbs, walkways, and central verges a makeover in preparation for the G20 Summit.
Important landmarks like Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Parliament Street, Khan Market, Ring Road, Mandi House, Mathura Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Pragati Maidan, Lodhi Road, and Purana Qila Road are among the streets/areas that are also being renovated.
Around 150 structures, including the Hall of Nations designed by architect Raj Rewal, at Pragati Maidan came up in 1972 to mark the 25 years of Independence. These were all demolished as part of the redevelopment project.
